RC Throw Gauge

This gauge is made with a few simple parts with Hayes Micro Clamp #104 (Tower LXK854) being the heart of it. This can be assembled in less than an hour with simple scraps. I used some scrap .032 pushrod wire, ¼” balsa, ½” long piece of ¼” dowel, a clamp on sinker from my fishing tackle box and a small wheel collar. The gauge was done with a cad program and created enough you can make one for your friend at the same time.

I started by cutting a gauge out and traced this onto the balsa or lite ply scrap. I then used a pin to mark the center of the pointer on the balsa scrap. Drill out the balsa or lite ply to accept the ¼” dowel, then cut the gauge face out. The hardest part of building the gauge is drilling a hole in the center of the ¼” dowel. When that is complete, glue the dowel to the gauge face with the front being flush, then glue the gauge to the balsa.

For the pointer I used scrap .032 wire from some park flyer pushrods. I cut one piece about 3 inches long and another 1 ¼” long with a 90 degree bend with the piece that is going through the ¼” dowel long enough to extend through and attach a collar. I used thick Zap to glue the wires together then used a piece of heat shrink to cover the joint. I used a small fishing sinker that was a small split lead ball, just use pliers to crimp onto the bottom of your pointer.

Slide the pointer onto your gauge assembly and use a small wheel collar to keep in place.

Drill a undersize hole in the handle of the Hayes micro clamp that can be enlarged to a snug friction fit for the ¼” dowel so you can adjust the gauge to “0” when attaching to your control surface.

Looks great I will make some for me

Hi Kevin,

They are easy to build, I had the clamps so designed around that.....I find it much easier than trying to measure throws holding a ruler at the surface.

I'm going to cut the parts on my ShopBot